Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,172,952 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 195,133 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.21% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $434,409,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% during the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the period. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares during the period. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $122.52 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.44. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $304.10 billion, a PE ratio of 16.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.28. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $112.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.81.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 45.22% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.72 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. This trade represents a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval in animal health: Merck Animal Health won U.S. FDA approval for NUMELVI (atinvicitinib) tablets for dogs, giving Merck a first‑to‑market second‑generation JAK inhibitor in veterinary dermatology and expanding recurring revenue potential in its animal health division. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: HIV regimen data and regulatory progress: Merck reported late‑breaking Phase 3 data for the two‑drug doravirine/islatravir (DOR/ISL) regimen that matched Gilead’s Biktarvy and is under FDA review — a potential new chronic product to offset future revenue declines. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Late‑breaking CROI data: Merck announced three Phase 3 datasets for DOR/ISL at CROI 2026, reinforcing the clinical case and regulatory timing for the HIV regimen. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Pediatric RSV asset shows promise: Positive Phase 3 SMART trial results for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) in infants/children under 2 expand Merck’s respiratory pipeline optionality. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and industry chatter: RBC initiated coverage with an Outperform and $142 PT (supportive), while Zacks, Barchart and other outlets note strong relative performance and investor interest — these shape sentiment but are not immediate revenue drivers. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate events and strategy reports: Merck will present at TD Cowen and appears in digital transformation profiles — useful for longer‑term narrative and institutional engagement. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda patent cliff and revenue risk: Coverage points to an upcoming Keytruda patent cliff that remains the major long‑term headwind; investors may be taking profits from recent multi‑session gains while awaiting clearer offsetting revenues from new launches. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.88.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.